NORFOLK, Va., Nov. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) has been named one of the nation's Top 100 Military Friendly Employers® by G.I. Jobs. The magazine's 10th annual list recognizes companies with the best military recruiting and hiring practices.

Making its sixth appearance on the list, Norfolk Southern ranked 32. The list of 100 companies represents the top 2 percent of more than 5,000 eligible companies with annual revenues exceeding $500 million. Criteria include strength of company military recruiting efforts, percentage of new hires with prior military service, retention programs, and company policies toward National Guard and Reserve service.

"At Norfolk Southern we believe that hiring veterans is not only the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do," said Cindy Earhart, NS vice president human resources. "With their superb training, technical skills, and leadership capabilities, veterans bring valuable skills to the railroad industry."

Norfolk Southern actively recruits people with military backgrounds for careers in railroad operations and management. Over the past six years, NS has hired 1,300 veterans, and 14 percent of the total NS workforce – some 4,260 employees – are veterans, members of the National Guard, or reservists.

As part of NS' recruiting efforts, the company launched www.NorfolkSouthern-veterans.jobs, which allows veterans to search for railroad employment opportunities using their military job titles. Recruiters also attend job fairs on military bases and at the federal government's Transition Assistance Program classes. Service members preparing to leave the military can register with NS indicating their separation date and desired work locations, and recruiters will contact them with current job opportunities.

Additionally, NS provides training to help veterans who have management experience transition into supervisory roles within the company. And if veterans are called to active duty through the Reserves or National Guard while working at Norfolk Southern, they can once again serve their country with the assurance that their jobs will be waiting for them when they return.

In honor of Veteran's Day on Nov. 11, Norfolk Southern today unveiled a red, white, and blue "Veterans Locomotive," and a video, "Two Careers. One Mission. Let's Roll," featuring seven veterans who embarked on second careers at Norfolk Southern.

Norfolk Southern Corporation is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of coal and industrial products.

Connect with NS
http://www.nscorp.com  
http://www.facebook.com/NorfolkSouthern  
http://www.flickr.com/photos/norfolksouthern  
http://www.twitter.com/nscorp  
http://www.youtube.com/user/norfolksoutherncorp

SOURCE Norfolk Southern Corporation